For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.  As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He [a]knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103: 11-14)   In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis … Read more

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Mark 9: 5,6 Way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was doing my undergrad at Queen’s I signed up for a course through the English Department with the really exciting title of “Selected Women Writers”.  My reasoning for taking this course was:  I needed a credit that was relatively easy.  I liked to read.  I am a woman … Read more

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)   Last Sunday, Hydro One … Read more

  “Do justly, Love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1Corinthians 13: 4-7) Over the Christmas holidays, as happens with … Read more

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a … Read more

Integrity:  a fundamental virtue characterized by adhering to ethical and moral principles consistently.  (The Helpful Professor) Integrity is doing what you said you were going to do.  (Stephen Covey, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said,, “What is this dream you had?  Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (Genesis 37: 10,11) I have an acquaintance that stands me … Read more

“Hope is a star that shines in the night” (VU 7, Written by Brian Wren, music by Joan Collier Fogg) “Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.””(Genesis 15:5) “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East … Read more

In the weeds : idiomatic.  Immersed or entangled in details or complexities. (Wiktionary the Free Dictionary) Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  (Hebrews 10: 24) “I want you, right now, to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.  Do again and again until you can release this to God” (My cousin, Emily Crighton) This morning I got a text from one of my colleagues telling me that she was having a tough … Read more

25“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of … Read more

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31, 32) Last weekend I attended a “Live at the Met” event at our local theatre.  This is a livestreamed production put on by the Metropolitan Opera, and the opera I saw was “Dead Man Walking”.  I love these productions.  For a while I thought about titling our streamed worship on Sunday morning a “Live at Bethel Event”.  But, considering there were only 5 of … Read more